


Cranky's Concussion

by live_laugh_read



Series: Billabong Missing Moments [31]
Category: Billabong Series - Mary Grant Bruce
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26913580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_laugh_read/pseuds/live_laugh_read
Summary: On the drove in Billabong Riders, a mad bullock nearly takes Wally out.  He is, of course, thoroughly looked after by the rest of the camp - but Norah is pretty shaken up, and they have a conversation before bed that night.
Relationships: Norah Linton/Wally Meadows
Series: Billabong Missing Moments [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/392605
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Cranky's Concussion

“Stay there,” Norah instructed, putting a hand on Wally’s shoulder to keep him down. “I’m going to get a bucket and washcloth and we’ll clean you up.” 

Ignoring his protestations, Norah left the tent and went in search of the aforementioned items. Lee Wing was all too willing to give up his, citing the reason that they would not be needed until tomorrow. 

On her way back to the tent, she was met with another of the men, Smith. He was a nice chap - shorter than Wally, but well-built and handy with a stockwhip. “I say, Mrs Meadows, I heard about what happened. How is he?” 

She hesitated, unsure what to say. If she told him that he was concussed, would he lose faith in Wally to lead the expedition? “He is a bit knocked up,” she told him, “but it’s nothing that a good night’s sleep won’t fix.” 

Smith nodded. “Take care of him, Mrs Meadows. He’s a good fellow, and I’d hate to see him out of the game too long. Tell him I’ll join the search for the cattle if he needs a rest tomorrow.” 

Grateful for the man’s understanding and discretion, she acquiesced silently. “You’d better get to bed yourself, Smith. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” 

A few minutes later, she ducked into the tent. Wally remained on his back, his fingers interlaced over his stomach, staring at the ceiling. Norah wasn’t sure whether he was deep in thought, or close to sleep. 

When his eyes flicked to her, and he moved to sit up, she decided that it was the former. “Can you sit up?” she asked him, concerned that he might feel dizzy again. He nodded, using his hands on the floor to steady himself as he crossed his legs. 

“Shirt,” she said briefly, dipping the washcloth into the bucket and wringing it out. Turning back to Wally, who had stripped himself of his dirty and dusty shirt, she forced back an exclamation at the sight of the small cuts and grazes that adorned him, no doubt the result of his heavy fall. 

“Norah,” he said, reaching out to close his hand over hers, where it had stilled mid-air. “They’re nothing. It happens, you know. I’ll be right as rain by tomorrow.” 

She nodded, tight-lipped, and began deftly wiping away the blood from each little graze. There was dirt too, along with the odd tiny piece of gravel that was a part of these hills. With each touch, she tried to ignore the painful gasps that slipped past Wally’s lips. 

As she rinsed the bloody washcloth in the bucket, the memory assailed her again of watching Cranky trot closer, undeterred by Wally’s hat over his horns, and then seeing the flash as Spotty darted out of the scrub and latched on to the bullock’s leg. Slowly, she put down the washcloth, draping it over the side of the bucket, and turned to look at Wally. 

Their eyes met, and then he put out a hand and drew her to him: she rested her forehead underneath his chin, feeling his hands cup the back of her head and hold her against him. 

“Thank you for being there,” he whispered hoarsely, “but I wish to goodness you hadn’t been. What if you had been hurt?” 

“I thought I would be, for a moment or two,” answered Norah, her voice shaking, “but it would not have mattered, so long as you were safe.” 

For a moment they were silent, and then Wally said in a low voice, “What about Davie?” 

“He would have had you - the best father he could have possibly had.” 

“But he would not have had the best mother possible,” Wally replied. “And I would not have had the remarkable wife that you are. So you see, it would not have been worth it, had you -” he could not finish his sentence, so struck with emotion was he. 

Norah laughed hollowly, trembling ever so slightly in Wally’s embrace. “I don’t like to think of it at all, Wally. It pains me too much to think of how close you came to danger.” 

He moved his head slightly to press his lips to her forehead, on her hairline, and then tucked her back beneath his chin. “I’m going to be okay, Nor. I won’t let a mad old bullock take me out - I plan to die happy in many years’ time, in my own bed. Besides, I have a first-rate nurse to take care of me.”

When her shoulders shook more violently, he thought that perhaps she was getting cold. But then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sob, and realised that she was crying. “We have always said that Danger could never touch us when we are together,” she hiccupped, the fingers resting on his sides twitching slightly, “and when we parted earlier tonight I nearly lost you.” 

His wife was not one to cry - often - and he knew that she must be tearing herself apart at the bare thought of losing him. “It was a fluke,” he said gently, trying to reassure her. “You know that I would always come back to you.” 

“I know  _ that _ ,” she said, and her sobs seemed to quieten marginally. “You have always been so reliable, Wal - I know that you would have done everything to come back to me.”  _ And Davie _ , was the unspoken addendum. 

Wally eased her back so that he could see her face. Her eyes were red and a little puffy, and tear-tracks found their way down her brown cheeks. Unwilling to let him see her in her moment of vulnerability, she turned her head to the side, but he pressured her cheek gently with one hand until she met his eyes again. 

“I am sorry that you were there,” he said quietly, “and I hate that you saw everything happen, and nearly got killed by that mad bullock. But I thank my lucky stars that you were there to look after me, because it was such a relief to wake up and see your face. I hate knowing how worried you were, and that you are so upset now. 

“But, Norah - I will always do everything in my power to come back to you. I promised you that, after Queensland, and I intend to keep that promise.” He threaded the fingers on his free hand through her hair, the thumb on his other hand brushing the sweep of her cheekbone. “I’m a bit knocked up now, but I’m all right. Even better, with you here. You know that I love you, don’t you?” 

She smiled, the first he had seen her smile since waking up in the paddock after his accident earlier. Something of the twinkle he loved came back to her eyes, and she reached up to wrap her hand around his, where it rested on her cheek. “I know,” she replied simply, and that was all Wally needed to tug her in again for a tight hug, burying his face in her brown hair, and wrapping his arms about her. 

“Let’s get you to bed,” she whispered, but neither of them moved. Presently Norah released him, sitting back on her heels and looking at him. “You need sleep, Wally - and so do I.” 

He let her take the bucket outside to empty it while he changed into his sleep clothes and lay back on the blankets, looking once again at the ceiling of the tent. 

When he fell asleep at last, tired out from the long day and the concussion that his heavy fall had brought him, it was with his hand on Norah’s hip, his cheek resting on her shoulder, and her steady breathing in his ear. They remained thus for some hours, until they were awoken after midnight by the rain drumming on the tent and the hard ground outside. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I love how the bullock scene in BR is a neat mirror of the one in BD where Wally saves Norah from a cranky bullock - I'm not sure whether this was pure coincidence or planned on the part of MGB!


End file.
